Okay, let’s try this…a simple yes or no is required…
You look outside and see that your 4 year old child is being hit by another 4 year old with a stick… Do you run outside and hand your child a stick and then say, “Here, now you are both safe.”
You hear that some unruly students at your child’s middle school like to push and shove and bully others while playing on the playground …Would you ask the principal to make an announcement to the entire student body that from now on everyone in the school is authorized to push and shove and bully in retaliation to anyone who provokes them, in the interest of safety, order and security for all?
Your child comes home from high school and tells you that some of the other students carry switch blades which they often flaunt during lunch…Do you give your child a switchblade and say, “Don’t worry, show this to everyone tomorrow at lunch so that they will know to leave you alone from now on”?
If you answered no to these questions then at what age would you deem it appropriate to give your child a gun in the interest of helping them secure their future safety?